Method for evaluating cigarette combustion coal fallout propensity by using maximum cigarette combustion coal deviation

Abstract

A method for evaluating cigarette combustion coal fallout propensity by using maximum cigarette combustion coal deviation. A manipulator simulation device is employed to simulate cigarette smoking, and measure the maximum cigarette combustion coal deviation; then, the angle is divided into four intervals according to an interval evaluation method, and the number and proportion of cigarettes in each interval are counted; next, each interval is assigned a value to obtain the total score for the batch of cigarettes; and finally, the cigarette combustion coal fallout propensity is evaluated on the basis of the total score for the batch of cigarettes. A novel method for evaluating cigarette combustion coal fallout propensity is provided, and compared with the existing methods for evaluating cigarette combustion coal fallout propensity on the basis of the status information of "falling" and "not falling" of cigarette combustion coals, this method allows for a more accurate, direct and prompt reflection of the status of the cigarette combustion coal.

Description

A method for evaluating the tendency of cigarette combustion cone to fall head using the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone. Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of cigarette performance testing technology, specifically relating to a method for evaluating the tendency of a cigarette combustion cone to fall head using the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of the tobacco industry, the quality and safety of cigarettes, as a mass consumer product, have received increasing attention. Among these factors, the tendency of the cigarette combustion cone to fall is a crucial indicator for evaluating cigarette quality and safety. Therefore, in-depth research into cigarette combustion cone fall tendency testing technology is of great significance for improving cigarette quality, protecting consumer rights, and promoting high-quality development of the industry.

[0003] Cigarette burner tip detachment refers to the phenomenon where the cigarette burner tip falls off from the main body of the cigarette during smoking due to the consumer's flicking action. This not only interrupts smoking and severely affects the smoking experience, but may also pose safety hazards such as fires.

[0004] To accurately assess the tendency of the cigarette combustion cone to fall, the current standard is YC / T 558 "Test of Cigarette Combustion Cone Fall Tendency". This standard evaluates the tendency of the cigarette combustion cone to fall by recording the "falling" and "not falling" states of the cigarette combustion cone during simulated smoking. During the test, m cigarette samples are randomly selected as test materials. The "falling" and "not falling" states of the cigarette combustion cone during simulated smoking are recorded. Then, the cigarette combustion cone fall tendency (CCFP) is calculated according to formula (1), with the result accurate to 1%. CCFP=n / m×100%………………(1)

[0005] In the formula:

[0006] CCFP — Combustion cone drop tendency, %;

[0007] n — the number of cigarettes that fall off the combustion cone, in units of cigarettes (cig);

[0008] m — the number of cigarettes tested, in units of cigarettes (cig).

[0009] While existing testing methods can evaluate the cigarette burner tip tendency (CCFP) by simulating the "falling" and "not falling" state of the cigarette burner during smoking, practical operation often encounters some difficult-to-define issues. For example, when simulating the human smoking action, we usually set a fixed smoking frequency, with varying intervals depending on different standards and smoking patterns, typically 60 seconds or 30 seconds apart. During this process, we may encounter a situation where, before the cigarette burner has completely fallen, but has merely deviated from its original position, the force of the next inhale can cause this deviated burner to be drawn back into the cigarette, resulting in reignition. Although from a testing perspective, the burner has not actually fallen in this situation, consumers, when faced with this scenario during actual smoking, may perceive it as having fallen. Therefore, a phenomenon may occur where laboratory tests show no burner tip tendency in a particular batch of cigarettes, but consumer feedback indicates that the burner tip may fall. This discrepancy directly impacts the accurate assessment of cigarette combustion performance, leading to a deviation between test results and actual consumer experience. Furthermore, existing quantitative indicators for testing data are relatively singular, relying solely on whether the combustion cone falls to evaluate cigarette combustion performance. This prevents us from accurately assessing the product's potential tendency for the combustion cone to fall.

[0010] Therefore, in order to solve these problems, it is particularly necessary to conduct in-depth research on the cigarette combustion cone drop-off tendency test technology and propose a new method for evaluating the cigarette combustion cone drop-off tendency.

[0011] To address the above problems, this invention is proposed.

[0012] Summary of the Invention

[0013] The present invention aims to overcome the lack of a method for evaluating the tendency of cigarette combustion cone to fall in the existing technology, and proposes a new method for evaluating the tendency of cigarette combustion cone to fall.

[0014] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0015] The first aspect of the present invention provides a method for evaluating the tendency of the cigarette combustion cone to fall off, which uses a robotic arm simulation device to simulate the smoking of cigarettes and measures the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone, and then uses the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone to evaluate the tendency of the cigarette combustion cone to fall off.

[0016] The robotic arm simulation device includes a control system, a robotic arm, a camera system, a lighting system, and a cigarette lighting system;

[0017] The control system is connected to the robotic arm, camera system, lighting system, and cigarette lighting system respectively. It is used to control the movement of the robotic arm, as well as the operation of the camera system, lighting system, and cigarette lighting system. It is also used to collect and process the images captured by the camera system to obtain the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone. There are multiple cameras in the camera system.

[0018] The method for evaluating the tendency of cigarette combustion cone to fall includes the following steps:

[0019] Step (1): The cigarette to be tested is held by a robotic arm, and the axial direction of the cigarette in the holding position is perpendicular to the camera of the camera system and the light source of the lighting system; the camera system and the lighting system are started by the control system.

[0020] Step (2): The robotic arm and the cigarette lighting system are started by the control system. The robotic arm and the cigarette lighting system work together to simulate the human body's cigarette lighting action. After the cigarette to be tested is lit, the robotic arm starts to suck, swing the arm and flip the wrist, hold the cigarette on the table and flick the ash according to the simulated human body's cigarette smoking path. The camera system collects real-time images of the combustion cone after the cigarette ash is flicked.

[0021] Step (3): When the combustion cone of the cigarette deviates from the central axis of the cigarette, the test ends;

[0022] By processing the combustion cone images captured by the camera system, the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone in the cigarette combustion cone deviation image is determined;

[0023] Alternatively, in step (3), the test ends when the cigarette has burned down to the length of the cigarette butt.

[0024] Step (4): Test multiple cigarettes according to steps (1)-(3), then divide the angle into the following four intervals according to the interval evaluation method, and count the number of cigarettes and the percentage of cigarettes in each interval. Then assign a value to each interval to obtain the total score of the batch of multiple cigarettes.

[0025] In the first interval, the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone is between 0 and 5.0, and each cigarette scores 5 points.

[0026] In the second interval, the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone is between 5.0 and 10.0, and each cigarette scores 3 points.

[0027] In section three, the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone is between 10.0 and 15.0, and 1 point is awarded for each cigarette.

[0028] In section four, if the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone is greater than 15.0, each cigarette will receive 0 points.

[0029] The maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone is divided into four intervals: interval 1 is between 0 and 5.0; interval 2 is between 5.0 and 10.0; interval 3 is between 10.0 and 15.0; and interval 4 is greater than 15.0. A cigarette in interval 1 receives 5 points, interval 2 receives 3 points, interval 3 receives 1 point, and interval 4 receives 0 points. The total score for all cigarettes in the batch is calculated according to these criteria.

[0030] Step (5): Evaluate the tendency of the cigarette combustion cone to fall off based on the total score obtained from the total score of multiple cigarettes in this batch, according to the following criteria.

[0031] If the total score of multiple cigarettes is between 180 and 200, it indicates that the cigarettes in this batch have a low tendency for the cigarette combustion cone to fall off, and the cigarettes are of excellent quality in terms of the cigarette combustion cone falling off.

[0032] If the total score of multiple cigarettes is between 160 and 180, it indicates that the cigarettes in this batch have a low tendency for the cigarette combustion cone to fall off, and the cigarettes are of good quality in terms of the cigarette combustion cone falling off.

[0033] If the total score of multiple cigarettes is between 140 and 160, it indicates that the cigarettes in this batch have a moderate tendency for the cigarette combustion cone to fall, and the quality of the cigarettes in terms of the cigarette combustion cone falling is moderate.

[0034] If the total score of multiple cigarettes is less than 140, it indicates that the cigarettes in this batch have a high tendency for the cigarette combustion cone to fall off, and the quality of the cigarettes is poor in terms of the cigarette combustion cone falling off.

[0035] Preferably, the robotic arm is a 6R type robotic arm, and its coordinate system conforms to the standard coordinate system specified in standard GB / T 16977-2005.

[0036] Preferably, the cigarettes to be tested are pretreated according to GB / T 16447 standard before testing.

[0037] Preferably, when simulating the human body's cigarette smoking action, the ISO, FTC, Massachusetts, or Canadian deep smoking modes are adopted; wherein the ISO, FTC, Massachusetts, or Canadian deep smoking frequencies are once every 60s, 60s, 30s, and 30s, respectively.

[0038] Preferably, there are three cameras, which are symmetrically arranged around the cigarette; there are three light sources, which are symmetrically arranged around the cigarette.

[0039] Preferably, the image acquisition system automatically acquires and processes images every 2 seconds.

[0040] Preferably, the camera's photosensitive element size is ≥15mm, the phase size is ≥1.22μm×1.22μm, and the light source color temperature is ≥4500K.

[0041] Preferably, in step (3), the uncertainty of the cigarette combustion cone endpoint during the cigarette image processing directly leads to the uncertainty of the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone. Determining the cigarette combustion cone endpoint is a difficult point in image processing. This application uses a pixel-by-pixel scanning method to find the cigarette combustion cone endpoint, specifically including the following steps:

[0042] (1) Acquire images of cigarette burning. After binarization, the gray values ​​of the cigarette and the background will be distinguished as 255 and 0 respectively.

[0043] (2) Based on the position of the cigarette, the image is cropped using the ROI to obtain the cropped image resolution as x·y;

[0044] (3) Starting from the upper right endpoint (x, 0) of the image, scan row by row and column by column from right to left and from top to bottom, and find the first pixel with gray value Gray = 255 (x, 0) in the background rows and columns. i y i The coordinates of this pixel point are the coordinates of the vertex of the cigarette combustion cone, as shown in Figure 1.

[0045] In this invention, the robotic arm simulating the cigarette smoking process and environment, and the method for acquiring cigarette combustion images using a full-vision camera system, can refer to the series of patents based on mechanical vision for cigarette combustion performance applied for by the applicant, application number: 2020103139473, entitled: A robotic arm and simulation method for simulating the human cigarette smoking process and environment; application number: 2020103234251, entitled: A smoking path simulation system based on a robotic arm; similarly, the testing devices and testing methods of the above patents are incorporated into this patent.

[0046] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0047] 1. This invention employs a robotic arm simulation device to simulate the smoking of cigarettes and measures the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone. The maximum deviation is then used to evaluate the tendency of the cigarette combustion cone to fall. This provides a novel method for evaluating the tendency of the cigarette combustion cone to fall. Compared to existing methods that evaluate this tendency based on the "falling" or "not falling" state of the cigarette combustion cone, this invention can more accurately, directly, and promptly reflect the state of the cigarette combustion cone.

[0048] 2. This invention uses an interval evaluation method, dividing the angle into four intervals and counting the number of cigarettes and their proportion within each interval. Each interval is then assigned a value to obtain the total score for the batch of cigarettes. The tendency of the cigarette combustion cone to fall is then evaluated based on the total score. This invention's evaluation method provides a more detailed assessment of the cigarette combustion cone's tendency to fall, rather than simply using the two states of "falling" and "not falling."

[0049] 3. The method for evaluating the tendency of the cigarette combustion cone to fall off in this invention can more accurately assess the state of the cigarette combustion cone, thereby more accurately evaluating the quality and safety of cigarettes and providing consumers with more reliable products. At the same time, accurate evaluation of the tendency of the cigarette combustion cone to fall off off helps guide the improvement and optimization of cigarette production processes, enhancing the overall quality of cigarettes. Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the end point scan of the combustion cone.

[0051] Figure 2 shows the measured deviation of the combustion cone during the cigarette testing process and a schematic diagram of the combustion cone deviation. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The present invention will be further described below through embodiments, but is not limited to these embodiments. Experimental methods not specifically described in the embodiments generally use conventional conditions and conditions described in manuals, or conditions recommended by the manufacturer. The general equipment, materials, reagents, etc., used are all commercially available unless otherwise specified.

[0053] The specific steps of the method described in this invention are as follows:

[0054] In an embodiment, when the cigarette combustion cone falls directly without adhering to the test sample cigarette, the deviation of the sample combustion cone is specified to be 90 degrees.

[0055] Example 1: Conventional Circular Cigarettes

[0056] 1. Test Results

[0057] Under the Canadian deep-smoking mode standard, the combustion cone deviation of conventional circumferential cigarettes (cigarette diameter: 7.7mm) was tested. Two parallel groups of 40 cigarettes each were tested, and the results are shown in Table 1.1. Table 1.1 also records the test results using the tapping mode according to YC / T 558. Table 1.2 shows typical test results and physical images of the conventional circumferential cigarette combustion cone deviation test samples.

[0058] Table 1.1 Test results of the deviation of the combustion cone of conventional circumferential cigarettes (unit: degrees)

[0059] Table 1.2 Typical test results and physical images of samples for testing the deviation of the combustion cone of conventional circumferential cigarettes (unit: degrees)

[0060] 2. Evaluation and Analysis

[0061] The evaluation method adopted is the angle test sample interval evaluation method.

[0062] The deviation of the combustion cone of the test sample was divided into intervals and evaluated according to Table 1.3.

[0063] Table 1.3 Statistical Evaluation Table of Combustion Cone Deviation Range for Conventional Cigarettes

[0064] According to Table 1.3, both sample groups 1 and 2 are rated as excellent when evaluated using combustion cone deviation. The combustion cone drop tendency of sample groups 1 and 2 is calculated to be 0 according to the YC / T 558 method (Tobacco Industry Standard of the People's Republic of China, Test of Combustion Cone Drop Tendency in Cigarettes), indicating that the two methods are consistent to a certain extent.

[0065] Example 2: Medium-length circumferential cigarettes

[0066] 1. Test Results

[0067] Under the ISO smoking mode standard, the combustion cone deviation of medium-length circumferential cigarettes (cigarette diameter: 6.4mm) was tested, with 40 cigarettes per group. The test results are shown in Table 2.1. Table 2.1 also records the test results using the tapping mode according to YC / T 558. Table 2.2 shows typical test results and physical images of the combustion cone deviation samples of medium-length circumferential cigarettes (unit: degrees).

[0068] Table 2.1 Test results of the combustion cone deviation of medium-length cigarettes (unit: degrees)

[0069] Table 2.2 Typical test results and physical images of samples for the deviation of the combustion cone of medium-sized circumferential cigarettes (unit: degrees)

[0070] 2. Evaluation and Analysis

[0071] The evaluation method adopted is the angle test sample interval evaluation method.

[0072] The deviation of the combustion cone of the test sample was divided into intervals and evaluated according to Table 2.3.

[0073] Table 2.3 Statistical Evaluation Table of Combustion Cone Deviation Range for Medium-Length Cigarettes

[0074] According to Table 2.3, the combustion cone deviation of sample groups 1 and 2 was evaluated, and both groups were rated as good. The combustion cone drop tendencies of sample groups 1 and 2 were calculated to be 0% and 7.5% respectively, according to the YC / T 558 method (Tobacco Industry Standard of the People's Republic of China, Test of Combustion Cone Drop Tendency of Cigarettes). This method showed a difference in the combustion cone drop tendencies between the two groups.

[0075] Example 3: Slim Circular Cigarette

[0076] 1. Slim circumferential cigarettes

[0077] Under the ISO smoking mode standard, the cigarette combustion cone deviation test was carried out on slim circumferential cigarettes (cigarette diameter: 5.4mm), with 40 cigarettes per group. The test results are shown in Table 3.1. Table 3.1 also records the test results conducted according to YC / T 558 using the tapping mode.

[0078] Table 3.1 Test results of combustion cone deviation of slim circumferential cigarettes (unit: degrees)

[0079] Table 3.2 Typical test results and physical images of samples for detecting the deviation of the combustion cone of slim circumferential cigarettes (unit: degrees)

[0080] 2. Evaluation and Analysis

[0081] The evaluation method adopted is the angle test sample interval evaluation method.

[0082] The deviation of the combustion cone of the test sample was divided into intervals and evaluated according to Table 3.3.

[0083] Table 3.3 Statistical Evaluation Table of Combustion Cone Deviation Range for Slim Cigarettes

[0084] According to Table 3.3, the combustion cone deviation of sample group 1 and sample group 2 were evaluated as good and moderate, respectively. The combustion cone drop tendencies of sample group 1 and sample group 2 were calculated to be 5% and 2.5% respectively, according to the YC / T 558 method (Tobacco Industry Standard of the People's Republic of China, Test of Combustion Cone Drop Tendency of Cigarettes). This method showed a certain difference in the combustion cone drop tendencies between the two groups.

[0085] The present invention has been described above by way of example. It should be noted that any simple modifications, alterations or other equivalent substitutions that can be made by those skilled in the art without creative effort without departing from the core of the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating the tendency of a cigarette combustion cone to fall head using the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone, characterized in that, A robotic arm simulation device was used to simulate the smoking of cigarettes and to measure the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone. Then, the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone was used to evaluate the tendency of the cigarette combustion cone to fall. The robotic arm simulation device includes a control system, a robotic arm, a camera system, a lighting system, and a cigarette lighting system; The control system is connected to the robotic arm, camera system, lighting system, and cigarette lighting system respectively. It is used to control the movement of the robotic arm, as well as the operation of the camera system, lighting system, and cigarette lighting system. It is also used to collect and process the images captured by the camera system to obtain the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone. There are multiple cameras in the camera system. The method for evaluating the tendency of cigarette combustion cone to fall includes the following steps: Step (1): The cigarette to be tested is held by a robotic arm, and the axial direction of the cigarette in the holding position is perpendicular to the camera of the camera system and the light source of the lighting system; the camera system and the lighting system are started by the control system. Step (2): The robotic arm and the cigarette lighting system are started by the control system. The robotic arm and the cigarette lighting system work together to simulate the human body's cigarette lighting action. After the cigarette to be tested is lit, the robotic arm starts to suck, swing the arm and flip the wrist, hold the cigarette on the table and flick the ash according to the simulated human body's cigarette smoking path. The camera system collects real-time images of the combustion cone after the cigarette ash is flicked. Step (3): When the combustion cone of the cigarette deviates from the central axis of the cigarette, the test ends; By processing the combustion cone images captured by the camera system, the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone in the cigarette combustion cone deviation image is determined; Alternatively, in step (3), the test ends when the cigarette has burned down to the length of the cigarette butt. Step (4): Test multiple cigarettes according to steps (1)-(3), then divide the angle into the following four intervals according to the interval evaluation method, and count the number of cigarettes and the percentage of cigarettes in each interval. Then assign a value to each interval to obtain the total score of the batch of multiple cigarettes. In the first interval, the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone is between 0 and 5.0, and each cigarette scores 5 points. In the second interval, the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone is between 5.0 and 10.0, and each cigarette scores 3 points. In section three, the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone is between 10.0 and 15.0, and 1 point is awarded for each cigarette. In section four, if the maximum deviation of the cigarette combustion cone is greater than 15.0, each cigarette will receive 0 points. Step (5): Evaluate the cigarette combustion based on the total score obtained from the multiple cigarettes in this batch, according to the following criteria. The tendency for the cone to fall; If the total score of multiple cigarettes is between 180 and 200, it indicates that the cigarettes in this batch have a low tendency for the cigarette combustion cone to fall off, and the cigarettes are of excellent quality in terms of the cigarette combustion cone falling off. If the total score of multiple cigarettes is between 160 and 180, it indicates that the cigarettes in this batch have a low tendency for the cigarette combustion cone to fall off, and the cigarettes are of good quality in terms of the cigarette combustion cone falling off. If the total score of multiple cigarettes is between 140 and 160, it indicates that the cigarettes in this batch have a moderate tendency for the cigarette combustion cone to fall, and the quality of the cigarettes in terms of the cigarette combustion cone falling is moderate. If the total score of multiple cigarettes is less than 140, it indicates that the cigarettes in this batch have a high tendency for the cigarette combustion cone to fall off, and the quality of the cigarettes is poor in terms of the cigarette combustion cone falling off.

2. The method for evaluating the tendency of cigarette combustion cone to fall head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm is a 6R type robotic arm, and its coordinate system conforms to the standard coordinate system specified in standard GB / T 16977-2005.

3. The method for evaluating the tendency of cigarette combustion cone to fall head according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before testing, the cigarettes to be tested were pretreated according to the GB / T 16447 standard.

4. The method for evaluating the tendency of cigarette combustion cone to fall head according to claim 1, characterized in that, When simulating the human body's cigarette smoking action, the ISO, FTC, Massachusetts, or Canadian deep smoking modes are used; the smoking frequencies for ISO, FTC, Massachusetts, or Canadian deep smoking are once every 60s, 60s, 30s, and 30s, respectively.

5. The method for evaluating the tendency of cigarette combustion cone to fall head according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are 3 cameras, symmetrically arranged around the cigarette; there are 3 light sources, symmetrically arranged around the cigarette.

6. The method for evaluating the tendency of cigarette combustion cone to fall head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The image acquisition system automatically acquires and processes images every 2 seconds.

7. The method for evaluating the tendency of cigarette combustion cone to fall head according to claim 1, characterized in that, The camera's image sensor size is ≥15mm, and the phase size is ≥1.22μm×1.22μm; the light source color temperature is ≥4500K.

8. The method for evaluating the tendency of cigarette combustion cone to fall head according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (3), during the image processing of the cigarette, the endpoint of the cigarette combustion cone is located by scanning pixel by pixel. This specifically includes the following steps: (1) Acquire images of cigarette burning. After binarization, the gray values ​​of the cigarette and the background will be distinguished as 255 and 0 respectively. (2) Based on the position of the cigarette, the image is cropped using the ROI to obtain the cropped image resolution as x·y; (3) Starting from the upper right endpoint (x, 0) of the image, scan row by row and column by column from right to left and from top to bottom, and find the first pixel with gray value Gray = 255 (x, 0) in the background rows and columns. i y i The coordinates of this pixel point are the coordinates of the apex of the cigarette combustion cone.

Images